Johnny Mathis’ lost Chic album released after 35 years

A lost album veteran crooner Johnny Mathis recorded with Chic stars Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in 1981 is to finally be released as part of a new box set.
The singer, whose When a Child is Born tune is an annual Christmas favourite, is releasing all 67 albums he has recorded as a Columbia recording artist as part of The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection.
And there’s two special treats for fans – an album of rarities and the release of I Love My Lady, an album that was shelved shortly after Johnny recorded it with the Chic stars over 35 years ago.
Despite the time gone by, Mathis still has fond memories of working with Nile and Bernard: “What usually happened is that they would say, ‘Come on, we’re going to get in the car, and we’re going to drive to the restaurant… and in the meantime, you’re gonna listen to what you’ve recorded, in the car…’
“It was just the most wonderful thrill to be able (to) hear that put together, because it takes a long time to record a lot of that stuff.”
Rodgers is thrilled the album is finally getting a release, telling Billboard, “When Johnny Mathis came into our world it was like a gift from the art gods. He allowed us young, idealistic producers, with a love of music, to try and fuse that love into a new form of pop/jazz/R&B. There are no words to express my eternal gratitude for the result.”
Mathis still has no idea why the album was shelved: “It’s a great big question mark mystery in my mind. I thought it was some of the best things that I’d done for that period of time.”